The Black Die
by MouHitoriNoKei
Summary: I know you like games, Duke, especially using die. So, you and me, right now, are going to play a little game. Fate is going to be decided with one roll of the dice.” (Yaoi, JoeyDuke, RR, No Flames! Rating may change)


This story is old! Hehe…started writing this in January of 2004, just never got past page one, until I was rummaging through my old stories and wham, found it. Resurrection is a good thing…

Okay, this is a JoeyXDuke, though after reading this chapter, you may think otherwise. Sorry for the short, random cliffhanger, I'm mean like that. :Smiles: Oh! And don't think that _In This Game Called Love _and _This Is What I Call Life_ are on hold or anything. I'm working on ITGCL and TiWICL is slowly progressing. But, that's not the issue here…Anyway, here's the disclaimer!

Duke:Clings to a tissue, sniffling: Kei doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its affiliated characters. :Blows nose: Sorry, this fic gets me chocked up…No flames, please! And please, please, please if you have any suggestions on Kei's writing style or what should happen in this story, feel free to comment or e-mail her! She's willing to listen…just don't be mean or anything…

_:Random Facts about this fic:_

_This DOES take place in the show's timeline. Before, after, during GX, I don't care! Just know that this is not AU._

_This IS yaoi…duh…maybe some lemons somewhere in here, I don't know_.

On with the story!

**

* * *

The Black Die **

_Roll One: Let Fate Decide _

The blonde eyed him, tears streaming down his cheeks. "What's this look like to you?" His heavy accent blended with his sadness as he extended a closed fist, opening it to reveal a small black die. The other looked on with a perplexed expression, his jade eyes glittering with bewildered hurt.

"It looks like a black die, but Joey, what does that have to do with any?" He was interrupted by a swift slap across his pallid face. His cheek reddened almost immediately as he only glanced up at the bitter Wheeler, tears falling like a spring drizzle. Joey's auburn orbs glared a hole through the confused Dice boy.

"Damn it, Duke!" He sniffled, his hands throbbing from the force of the hit. "Don't ya get it! I love you!" Duke's eyes shot open as he opened his mouth to speak, but Joey interrupted as if to sound threatened, though it came out like a chocking whisper. "I don't know if you're just too stupid to see it or if you just don't care…"

"J-joey…I…"

"Shut up!" Joey snarled, as he flicked the black die over to Duke, the small die making a minute sound as it hit his palm. He opened his hand and eyed the small die with fascination. The die had but on symbol on three of the ebony squares, that of a piece of a shattered, scarlet heart. The three spaces that were unoccupied by the fragment were blank, as black as the void that engulfed Joey's fragile heart. "Now," He sniffled, as if he were trying to hide his tears, shield his sadness, but to no avail. "We're going to play a little game. You like games, don't you?" He waited for an answer, but received only silence, an unforgiving silence that was soon shattered by Joey's booming, slightly cracked voice. "Well!"

"Yes!" Duke shot out, almost fearing the snarling dog, seeing the anger build and bubble over in the form of forgotten and ignored tears. "Yes, Joey…please, don't do th-"

"Too late, Duke!" Now, it was quite obvious that those tears were being forced back, but rebelled and left crystallized trails down his fleshy cheeks. His voice quivered slightly as he lifted a trembling finger, drawing Duke's attention to his own hand, which still clenched the single black die. "I know you like games, Duke, especially using die. So, you and me, right now, are going to play a little game. Fate is going to be decided with one roll of the dice."

The other's face contorted in raw sadness, as again he tried to interject with Joey's anger and offer kindness. Again, he was shot down by a viciously harsh return.

"Just roll the die, Duke! How hard is that!" He chuckled sourly. "If it lands on a blank black, I'll hear what you have to say. If it lands on a shattered heart…I'm gone!"

"Joey, please! Stop this!"

"Roll, Duke!"

Minutes past as hours, time seemed to halt and dwindle, as Duke held the small dice between his thumb and index finger. He examined it, eyeing every aspect of the piece. His emerald orbs did pick up on a few minor deformities, such as a small crack on the upper left corner. Wait, this wasn't an everyday die. Joey must have…made it?  
"Joey, please listen to me…"

"Three black, three symbols. Fifty-fifty chance. Fair odds."

"It doesn't have to go on like this. Joey, please, let's talk."

"Duke, just roll…"

He was taken back by how cynical his friend sounded. This wasn't the same Joey he met and admired, the same Joey he grew to lo…love? Did he? Could this all be ended, the threat of losing Joey, with three of the simplest words? Could all this end here?

"Joey!" Duke now wore a soft, sincere smile as he spoke softly. "I think I lo-"

Joey advanced harshly towards the ebony haired one, grasping, with force, his frail wrist. He squeaked in pain, did Duke, as his hand was wrenched open and the die retrieved. He felt Joey's nails scrape against his skin as the die was stolen from him. He held it high above his head, cursing the Heavens for allowing a single dice to decide his fate.

"If you won't, then I will!"

"Joey, no!"

* * *

It still sat upon his mantle, the ebony die, unmoved for, how long had it been now, ten years? Felt like longer in his mind, like millennia. Either way, no matter how it felt or how long it really was, it still hurt. Nothing had changed, the pain still pulsed within and his loneliness still flourished, growing like wild fire in a valley of death and rot. He had been alone since that night when all was lost, when a small die hit the cold pavement, fate took its course and a shadow dispersed into a hollow darkness. There was no light to illuminate, no love to fuel it, and no hope to obtain it. 

Duke Devlin hadn't fled from Domino City, where memories were bitter against minds and gossip about those memories bitter against tongues. No one remembered, no one cared, no one knew, except for Duke. He couldn't forget. How could he? Ten years ago, someone he loved, unaware of his feelings, left. That's right, just picked up and left without any form of goodbye. A slap across the face would have been alright, as long as Duke knew that the shadow his left saw his face one last time. Did it matter now? No. Did he, Duke, regret not saying what his heart so loudly screamed? Yes. If given the chance, would he tell him even now, after so much time had elapsed and so much animosity may exist?

Of course.

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Well? What did you think? Hopefully, your reviews will speak for themselves. Maybe…hmmm…5 reviews for chapter 2? Sound reasonable :3 

OH! And, if the counter is correct, this post will make me go over 100,000 words archived :Dances:


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